devise.realise

The Late Music Ensemble (LME) is an instrumental group that specialises in pieces combining music with theatre, improvisation and audience participation. devise.realise is a new project led by LME’s director, composer/theatre-maker James Whittle.

The three composers selected for devise.realise will:

Devise their work with LME at a Devising Workshop Day in York

Receive a commission fee on delivery of their final score

Attend a premiere of their new work

Receive a mastered audio recording plus a film of the premiere performance

A contribution towards travel expenses to attend the workshop day and concert will be available

Devising Workshop Day

All composers who apply will be invited to attend the Devising Workshop Day.

Led by James Whittle, the workshop day will begin with group activities to introduce all attendees to devising, through playing theatre and improvisation games and exercises.

The morning will continue with a practical demonstration of 20th century pieces selected from LME’s repertoire. Attendees will be able to discuss and play these pieces with LME as a springboard for exploring how to combine theatre, improvisation and audience participation with music.

The afternoon will be dedicated to workshopping and developing work by the selected composers with LME. All other attendees will be welcome to observe these workshops.

Selected composers will be expected to provide workshop sketch materials in advance.

Project Timeframe

Friday 21st April 2017, 5pm, deadline for submissions

Monday 24th April selection panel meeting

Tuesday 25th April notification of result to composers

Wednesday 10th May, 5pm deadline for workshop sketch materials

Saturday 13th May, 10am-5pm Devising Workshop Day

Friday 11th June, 5pm deadline for completed scores

Saturday 1st July, 3pm LME rehearsal with selected composers

Saturday 1st July, 7.30pm LME concert in Unitarian Chapel York

What we are looking for

LME is looking for innovative, experimental, fun, challenging ideas that demonstrate the composer’s creativity and enthusiasm to develop new work in a new area.

The selected composers will be encouraged to explore their ideas and creative practice. Applicants are welcome to suggest alternative forms of notation that they will work with, such as open form scores, text scores, or graphic scores.

The final devised works will each be no more than 8 minutes long and for a maximum of 7 LME performers (flute, clarinet, piano, percussion/objects, violin, cello, conductor). LME can move, use our voices, play our instruments, play something else…

How to apply

Your proposal for a new work incorporating theatre, improvisation, and/or audience participation (maximum 1 single-sided A4 page). Please explain your idea for the work you want to devise: what your piece will be about; your influences for this idea; how the theatre/improvisation/audience participation may work in your piece; how you would use your workshop time.

Confirmation of your availability for the Devising Workshop Day and the LME concert

Selection process

The three composers will be selected anonymously by a panel comprising: James Whittle, two LME performers, Late Music Concerts Programmer Steve Crowther, and an external advisory professional composer.